Fire Emblem: Bonds
by Dylan Millwood
Summary: Those marked by destiny are doomed to face their trials alone...At least that's how the saying goes. But what if two children "marked by destiny" didn't have to face those trials alone? What if they had help in one another? A girl branded by two Dragons and a boy marked by the Sun will rise up, face the odds, and win; so long as they stand together. Adopted from co-author
1. Chapter 1

_Fire Emblem: Bonds_

_Chapter One: The Marked Ones_

* * *

Blue eyes blinked in confusion as he stared at the sea of stars across the night sky. How strange… He was sure he fell asleep inside of his apartment, where there was no view of the night sky _this_ wonderful. Perhaps he sleepwalked and just woke?

Sitting up, he saw that he was surrounded by trees with nothing more than a dirt road separating them perfectly. He himself was seated in the middle of that road, staring down its long, unending path that held nothing but more trees in the distance. If he went that way, he'd surely be walking forever; of that he had little doubt.

Turning around to see what resided behind him, he couldn't help but raise a confused and curious brow at the sight of a large fort (possibly even castle) made entirely of stone and iron. It was an impressive sight, and he couldn't help but wonder who lived in such a place. That curiosity drove him to get on his feet and start walking towards it; if only to see who owned it.

As he walked through the open gates that surrounded the castle, he was surprised to see that there was nobody at all. Granted, it was late in the evening and the people were more than likely asleep for the night; but that didn't mean that there couldn't be at least _one_ person walking around.

Something was wrong; he knew at that very moment. With a suspicious frown, he walked up to the massive front doors of the castle and pushed it open with surprisingly little effort. The main hall was grand and fit for royalty; something he felt should be expected. He moved slowly down the large carpet that led to a set of stairs.

"Father?" he heard a girl's voice call from up the stairs. "Is that you?"

His frown remained. She sounded confused and a hint of fear was mixed in. Whoever she was, she must've been just as concerned as he was about the lack of people. He got a glimpse of her as she moved down the stairs, frozen in place and stunned at how magnificently blue her long hair was.

She looked around ten – which was how old he was – and stood a bit taller than him. She had blue eyes that matched her hair and fair skin. For clothing, she wore a light gray tunic and black sweats while her feet were bare. The most curious thing about her – something he was only able to notice as she got closer to him – was that there was a strange mark in her left eye while the back of her right hand had an even stranger purple mark on it. (1)

"Hello?" she asked, getting his attention. "Can you understand me? I'm trying to speak with you."

He shook his head to clear his thoughts before nodding to her. "Yes, I understand you. Are you alright?" he asked back in concern.

She sighed in relief and took a quick moment to look over the boy in front of her. He had wild hair that looked windswept while colored as gold as the sun. His eyes were like the sapphires she saw her aunt gush over the other day while the whiskered markings on his face made him look like some sort of cat; something she resisted giggling about. For clothes, she was concerned to see that they weren't well made. An old white shirt that had some visible stitching repairs on it, a pair of orange shorts that were held up by an old rope, and sandals that exposed his toes and heels. Although, what caught her attention the most was the golden marking on the palm of his right hand. (2)

"Yes," she answered. "I'm fine, thank you. Have you seen any of the staff or my parents walking around? I haven't been able to find anyone."

He shook his head. "No. There was nobody outside either."

"No one?" she repeated in shock, earning another shake of the head from the blonde boy. "But…how could that be?"

"I'm just as confused as you," he explained, making her look him in the eye. "The last thing I remember was falling asleep on my bed before waking up in the middle of the road and looking at the stars. What's the last thing you remember?"

She frowned in thought. "I was reading about the first Exalt of Ylisse in the library. I think I might've fallen asleep while I was reading. Next thing I know, I'm waking up to a bright flash outside of my bedroom window."

The boy hummed in thought. "So, we both fell asleep where we last were, but woke up in different places… Your castle is empty except for us… And we don't know why…" he summarized before groaning and rubbing his head. "Dammit," he didn't notice her surprise at the curse word, "I'm no good at figuring things like this out…"

"Well, since we're the only ones here, I suppose I should get to know the name of my new companion," the girl suggested before offering him a hand. "My name is Lucina, princess of Ylisse."

He looked confused, but shook her hand. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki." She looked interested in the way his name sounded. "I've never heard of a place called Ylisse. Is it anywhere in the Land of Fire?"

Now she looked confused. "Uh, no it isn't. The Kingdom of Ylisse is named after the country we reside in. I've never heard of the Land of Fire before…"

His eyes widened briefly. "You're joking, right?" She shook her head, looking entirely sincere. "Damn… Where the hell are we?" He started to pace and she followed him with her eyes. "This is your castle, but no one's around, and you've never heard of the Land of Fire before…"

"We've also never had so many trees around our castle before. We had a few, but the closest forest to my home is actually a long way out…"

"So, the huge forest around this place was never there before?" She shook her head. "Great," he groused. "Just another thing to add to the list of _What the Hell is Happening_…"

She frowned at this, sitting down on the bottom step of the stairs. "This is so bizarre… What would make us both come to a place we either don't know or don't fully recognize? And why only the two of us?"

"You got me," he replied, looking totally lost.

He would've said more, but three things began to glow brightly. Lucina's eye brand began to glow white, her purple brand glowed violet, and Naruto's marking on his hand glowed bright gold. The combined glows became blinding in luster, forcing them to close their eyes (though Lucina was only able to close her unmarked eye).

* * *

Lucina gasped awake, jolting up in the chair she sat in. Startled, she looked around in slight panic and saw that she was in the castle library. "What…?" she asked aloud, thoroughly confused.

"Lucina?" a voice she recognized called out, making her turn to see her mother walking over to her. Robin looked to her in concern, noting the alarmed expression on her daughter's face. "Sweetheart, are you alright?"

"M-Mother…?" Lucina stuttered out, reaching a hand out shakily to her.

Robin gently grasped it and squeezed assuringly. "I'm right here, Lucina. You must've had a nightmare."

Lucina leapt into her mother's arms, clutching her tightly as she described the dream she had. She told her about the forest surrounding the castle, the flash of light, waking up alone, and then meeting Naruto.

"A-And we couldn't figure out what was going on!" she continued, still shaken up by everything. "We were trying to, but then our marks all glowed bright and then I woke up here!"

"Shh…" comforted Robin, holding her. "It's okay. It was just a dream; nothing more." She pulled away to wipe the building tears in her daughter's eyes. "Your father and I aren't going anywhere; promise."

She took several deep breaths before nodding slowly. "Okay, mother…"

"Good girl. Now, your father was looking for you. He said that he wanted to get started on your sword training."

Blue eyes widened in surprise and growing excitement before Lucina quickly put the book she was reading away and ran off to get ready. She had been begging her father to train her for months, and now he was finally going to start! She couldn't be late!

Left alone in the library, Robin frowned softly as she went over what Lucina had told her. She had only ever heard of the marking she said that this Naruto had in an old myth concerning the two dragons of legend; Naga and Grima.

According to the myth, the two dragons were approached by a pair of brothers that held great power. The eldest held the marking of an Ebon Moon, and he believed himself to be superior to the dragons. However, the younger brother, who held the marking of a Golden Sun, saw the dragons as great allies and offered them an alliance.

After that, the myth became too unclear to use for reference. But, if this Naruto held the same mark as the younger brother, then perhaps there was more to her daughter's dream than she realized.

* * *

Naruto jolted awake in his bed, gasping and looking around in a panic. "What…?" he asked in startled confusion.

He was back in his apartment and the sun was just visible over the horizon. He rushed to the only window of his apartment and saw that the early risers of the village were going about their business. He was home.

But, what happened to Lucina and the castle? Was it all just a dream? Was it something more?

He didn't know, but he hoped that it wasn't. Even though it wasn't the best way to meet someone, he enjoyed his first meeting with the young princess of Ylisse.

He perked up at that. Perhaps there was a way to see if it was real or not. Excited about the prospect, he had a quick breakfast of toast and milk, got dressed in a cleaner set of his clothes, and then rushed out the door to the Hokage's office. He had to tell the Old Man about Lucina!

* * *

"And then the next thing I know, I'm waking up in my bed," finished Naruto as he sat before the Third Hokage. "So, I was hoping you could help me see if it was just a dream or not…"

Hiruzen hummed in thought, stroking his beard as he went over what the young Uzumaki had told him. "Ylisse, was it?" Naruto nodded to confirm. "I've never heard of such a place, unfortunately."

"Oh…" the boy replied, downtrodden.

"But, try to describe the marks as best as you can," suggested the old man. "Do you think you could draw them?"

"Uh… I think so," he answered, sounding a little unsure.

"Just try your best," reassured the Hokage before grabbing a blank paper and a pencil for the boy to use. He waited patiently for Naruto to draw the first one, which looked like a teardrop that rested atop some sort of winged sigil. "Which one was that?"

"It was the one that was in her eye," Naruto answered, pointing to his left eye to clarify for him. He then went back to the paper and began drawing the next brand.

It looked like three pairs of eyes with slightly elongated lashes that extended outwards. The top and bottom pairs were also slightly angled so that they all pointed towards the center. Finally, all the eyes had two lines connect them before they twisted in a helix pattern beneath all of the eyes.

"This one was on her hand, here," explained Naruto, pointing to the back of his right hand. "It was a purple color, y'know."

"I see," mused the Hokage, studying both markings. In truth, they both puzzled him since they felt like they should've been polar opposites. He didn't know why he felt they should be, but it seemed like the first brand was associated with light while the second was associated with darkness. "Well, for now I believe you should head to the Academy. You have class again today, after all."

"But what about-?" Naruto began, only to be cut off.

"If you have any more of these dreams with this Lucina girl in them, then tell me about them. It sounds interesting, if I was honest with myself," Hiruzen said, chuckling warmly. "Now, get going before you're late."

Naruto nodded, still looking a bit pensive as he left the office and headed to the Academy. He hoped he'd see Lucina again.

* * *

The blue-eyed bluenette was breathing hard as she rested against a tree near the sparring ring. She had been through intense physical training that was much tougher than what she had been used to. Her father did warn her that he would push her; but she didn't think he'd do so immediately.

"Have you caught your breath yet?" Chrom asked her, a wooden training sword rested on his shoulder.

Lucina took another deep breath before using her own practice sword to help push her to her feet. "Yes, sir," she replied, moving over to the sparring circle. Turning back to face him, she took a ready stance as he slowly moved to stand across from her.

"You sure?" he asked again, showing his fatherly concern. "If you need to rest a bit more, don't hesitate to tell me. We're not in any rush, after all."

She shook her head and kept her stance. "I need to be as strong as I can, and as fast as I can. I want to be able to help keep you, mother, and everyone else safe."

Chrom smiled at her determination, nodding once to show how proud he was. "Good. Then let's continue."

She nodded in return and waited for him to move first. She was ready, and she knew it.

However, she wasn't ready for her vision to suddenly blur and change. Where once she saw her father standing across from her, she found herself seated at a long desk in a room full of children her own age while a pair of older men stood in front of a large board.

The men were dressed in odd uniforms and wore headbands with metal plates on them; each of the plates holding an odd insignia on the face. She heard them calling names in a roll call, making her assume they were instructors. The person who the name belonged to would say that they were there before the instructors moved onto the next name on their lists.

It wasn't until they called a certain name that she perked up.

_"…Naruto Uzumaki."_

She frowned at how they said it, feeling like they didn't truly wish to say his name. However, she turned to see the blonde in question raise his hand and say he was there, which made her smile. She was glad to see him again, fearing that he would only be seen in one dream and never again.

As sudden as the vision started, it ended just in time for her to see that her father's sword was just about to hit her. On pure instinct, she raised her own sword and deflected it, pushing herself away as she did so while looking surprised. _'What was that?'_

She couldn't linger on her thoughts as she refocused on her spar with her father, making sure to put her all into it so that she could get stronger. In the back of her mind, though, she wondered what exactly was going on with her and Naruto.

* * *

Naruto found the current instruction to be incredibly boring. Seriously, what kid his age would be so interested in hearing about crap that happened decades ago? He looked around and saw that he wasn't the only one losing interest and even saw a couple of his fellow classmates sleeping; the first to do so being that Nara kid.

He fought a yawn and decided that it wouldn't hurt to catch a few winks. So, he raised up his textbook to hide his face as he rested his head in his arms and dozed off.

A breeze made him stir and he opened his eyes to the same dirt road he woke up to in his dream last night. His eyes widened in surprise as he shot to his feet, looking for the castle Lucina lived in. Once he saw it, he grinned brightly and ran towards it so that he could talk to her.

He pushed through the main doors and entered the entrance hall, calling out, "Lucina!" His smile was still in place as he looked around for her. "Lucina, are you here?" he tried again, running up the stairs to see if she was up there. He searched all of the rooms on the second story, but found no one to greet him. "Where is she?" he asked aloud, a concerned look on his face.

He walked back down the stairs and searched the rooms on the ground level, making sure to take his time doing so. But, just like the other rooms, he didn't find anyone else in the castle. He frowned at this and stepped outside before yelling out her name. All he heard for his efforts was his cry echoing into the distance, and this made him depressed since he couldn't find his new friend.

"Where did you go?" he asked softly, sitting down and hugging his legs to his chest. "Was this all really just a dream?"

_"Far from it, dear child,"_ a soothing voice answered, making his eyes widen as he turned to the source. He saw a woman who had a blue spiritual glow to her while her hair, eyes, and forehead marking were all a bright emerald. Her ears were pointed, her marking matched the one in Lucina's eye, and she was dressed in flowing robes that accentuated her stunning beauty. She surprised him once more when she laughed softly behind her hand. _"I appreciate the compliment, Little Sun."_

_'Wait, did she just-?'_

_"Read your thoughts?"_ she finished, still smiling at him. _"No, I'm not a mind reader. However, your face betrays nothing from your thoughts, so it was easy to guess." _She turned back towards the dirt road and began to walk, prompting Naruto to quickly fall in step with her._"I'm pleased to see that you already feel such a connection with young Lucina. Asura lives strong inside you."_

"Asura?" Naruto repeated, a brow raised in curiosity.

_"Yes. You might say he was an ancestor of yours; one that made a pact with myself and my opposite."_

"You're not making any sense, ttebayo," grumbled the Uzumaki with a pout, making her chuckle warmly.

_"Perhaps it's a bit too soon for you to understand. Just know that we only want to speak with you."_

"But, who are you anyway?"

_"Patience, Little Sun. Everything will be explained in due time. For now, let us just enjoy our walk."_ She gave him another smile before focusing on the road ahead.

The blonde frowned for a moment before sighing and walking in reluctant silence. He had so many questions and he was still worried for Lucina since he couldn't see her anywhere. The two walked for what felt like hours to him until they finally reached the end of the road, which was just a circular patch of dirt that held a small campfire and three stumps of wood to sit on.

Taking one of those seats was a person wearing a dark cloak with a hood that shadowed their face. On the back of their cloak was the same brand that Lucina held on her right hand, making Naruto assume that this person was the _opposite_ that the glowing blue lady spoke of.

_"Grima,"_ greeted the woman, taking a seat across from the figure. _"I apologize if we kept you waiting."_

**"I wasn't waiting for very long,"** a male voice – one that sounded like two different men speaking simultaneously – replied. **"Just him?"**

"_Yes. He was the only one asleep at the time; but I think it's better this way. We can explain things to him while Asura speaks to our chosen one."_

The cloaked man shrugged in response. **"I could care less how we go about it; so long as they're both ready for what will come."**

Naruto looked lost, but he still slowly took a seat on the remaining stump. "So…who are you guys, anyway? And what're you talking about?"

_"I suppose introductions would be appropriate at this time. I am the Divine Dragon, Naga,"_the woman introduced.

**"And I am the Fell Dragon, Grima,"** the man continued, turning his hooded face to Naruto, letting the boy see three pairs of glowing red eyes in the shadows his hood made. **"The two of us are the keepers of our side of the world; a side that has been unseen by the inhabitants of your continent."**

Seeing that Naruto still looked lost, Naga took point. _"What he means is that we're from the other side of the world you live in. Where you call your side the Elemental Nations, we have many different countries that make up our part of the world. Your world and ours have been divided for ages; ever since the time of the man you may know of as the Sage of Six Paths."_

"The Sage?" Naruto repeated, knowing the term deeply. "He's just a myth though, isn't he?"

**"No,"** Grima answered. **"The Sage is as real as we are; or should I say **_**was**_**. The three of us decided that the world would be better off split in two so that it wouldn't destroy itself with our power."**

_"His part of the world had chakra, whereas ours held magic. Where his had ninja and samurai, we had warriors of many different arts. You and Lucina come from two different worlds; even though they both originated from a single one."_

Naruto groaned and rubbed his head to stave off the growing ache. "Ugh… This is all too confusing," he groused. "I'm only ten! Stuff like this is hard to understand, ttebayo!"

Both Dragons chuckled at his outburst. _"Yes, I suppose it would be."_ She reached over and gently rested a hand on his head, bringing it down to the side of his face to cup his cheek. He unconsciously leaned into the touch, feeling nothing but warmth from her hand. _"All you need to understand for now, Naruto, is that this place is no mere dream."_

**"It is a meeting ground between our chosen one and the chosen of Asura. In other words, it's a place that you and Lucina can meet and speak in without anyone getting in your way."**

The Uzumaki slowly nodded in understanding. "So…Lucina is real?" he asked hopefully.

_"Yes. She's not just someone you dreamed up."_

"But, why isn't she here now?"

**"Because this place can only be accessed in your dreams; basically, when you sleep. Right now, since you decided to take a nap, you're the only one here with us. Once Lucina sleeps, she'll be here as well."**

_"You both need to be sleeping at the same time to meet up here; so, be sure to make some sort of plan with her next time you can talk,"_ advised Naga, making Naruto nod.

"I will. But, why can't you tell her?"

_"It's not the right time for us to speak with her. Someone else will do so in our place until the time is right."_

**"That same person will then speak with you since they are connected to you through your own brand,"** Grima added, nodding his head towards Naruto's right hand.

He looked to the palm and traced his golden marking with his left index finger. "…Why is this happening now?"

_"Because now is the best time. We cannot explain why we chose this specific age for you both. All we can say is that we know it is the right time."_

**"Call it a **_**gut feeling**_**, kid," **the Fell Dragon simplified.

Naruto nodded at that. "I can understand that. I get gut feelings all the time, ttebayo."

Both Dragons chuckled once again at his innocent nature. _"Anyway, it's time for you to wake up, Little Sun. You shouldn't be sleeping through your studies,"_ admonished the Divine Dragon.

"But the classes are so _boring_!" whined Naruto childishly.

She rolled her eyes at that before gently poking his forehead with two fingers, making his body start to wake up from the dreamscape. _"Be that as it may, you must put your all into the life you've chosen to live, Naruto. Lucina needs you to be the best you can be."_

**"Besides,"** Grima added, his voice sounding distant as Naruto became more and more awake, **"you may actually find something from the past that **_**isn't**_** so boring."**

When Naruto was fully awake, he heard the teacher nearing the end of their lecture. "…which resulted in the founding of the Hidden Leaf Village. Lord Hashirama of the Senju Clan and Lord Madara of the Uchiha Clan were able to set aside the disputes between their people and unite them into one strong, allied nation that became one of the world's first great ninja villages."

The bell then rang, making the teacher sigh since he was honestly getting into his own lecture. He dismissed the class for the day and the students wasted no time running out the door. The only one who stayed was Naruto, who was going over the part of the lecture he had heard.

_'A strong, allied nation…'_ he repeated in his mind, his brows furrowed in thought. _'Maybe one day…Lucina and I can unite our two worlds together… I wonder what she'd think about that.'_

* * *

Robin was sitting in her personal study while her daughter rested on the small cot in the room. The Tactician was looking through some old tomes that she had taken from the royal library to aide in her research concerning Naga and Grima. The dream her daughter had was one thing, but the vision she described in such vivid detail made her realize that whatever was going on between her and this Naruto boy was definitely worth investigating.

She had pulled out all of the tomes, scrolls, and texts that concerned the Divine and Fell Dragons, hoping to find anything that would further explain the legend concerning them and the Two Brothers. She had no doubt that the legend itself was the key to finding the answers, and she was determined to find the truth.

Her daughter was concerned.

Naga and Grima – the Fell Dragon she held a link to – were concerned.

And an innocent young boy, who she felt strangely worried for, was also concerned.

She couldn't put this off for a later date.

* * *

Lucina blinked at the sight of a man seated in a chair in her room. Taking a second to look outside, she saw that it wasn't really her room; instead being the room she had in her dream. The man had spiky hair that reminded her of Naruto's, except his was brown. His eyes were black and he looked to be a little younger than her father was.

He had bandages wrapped around his forehead and tied near the tips of his bangs that framed his face. The robes he wore were white and looked both comfortable and functional at the same time. The robes themselves had black comma styled markings around the collar and were held loosely together by a black sash while a black bodysuit was seen beneath them.

He gave her a small grin and waved casually. "Yo," he greeted. "Nice to finally meet ya, Blue Girl."

_'Blue Girl…?'_ she repeated in her head while her face was deadpan. _'Seriously…?'_

He ignored her look and softened his grin to a small smile. "We have some things to talk about. What do you know about Naga and Grima?"

That question alone made Lucina realize that she was going to have a _long_ night; even in her dreams.

* * *

**1~ Yes, Lucina has the brands of both the Exalt (Naga) and Grima. It's because she's the child of both "champions" of the Dragons; making her their combined "champion".**

**2~ Naruto was born with the Sun Marking in this story. He doesn't know how to use Asura's power yet, though.**

**Well, ****pain17ification told me to take this full-time since we were co-authoring it together, that's the short and long of why it's here now.**


	2. Chapter 2

_Fire Emblem: Bonds_

_Chapter Two: Destiny_

* * *

"So…what should I call you, sir?" Lucina asked the man before her as she sat on her bed, legs crossed beneath her. "And my name is Lucina, by the way; not _Blue Girl_…" she added in a deadpan.

The man chuckled at her expression. "I know who you are. As for me, my name is Asura Ōtsutsuki. I'm the younger grandson of the first person in this world to use chakra."

"Chakra?" the girl repeated in confusion.

"It's a life force that people on your friend's side of the world use. Y'know, the short, blue-eyed blonde you met recently."

"Naruto! You mean he's not just someone from a dream?"

He barked out a laugh at her excitement. "Nah, he's as real as you, your parents, and everyone on your side of the world."

"What do you mean by that? You speak as if the world is split in half." He just smiled calmly at her, making her eyes slowly widen. "…It is, isn't it?"

"Yes, your world and Naruto's are two halves of the same whole." He stood up from his seat and made for her door. "Walk with me, Lucina."

She quickly got to her feet and followed him as he led the young princess outside. The two were silent as they left the castle, moved through the empty city, and began walking down the dirt road ahead. "Where are we going?" she finally asked.

"Just for a walk. In here, the path goes on until the end is needed," he answered cryptically. "We could walk for miles on end, but the end of this path will never be within reach until it's the right time."

"This dream is so weird," pouted the young girl, making the Ōtsutsuki laugh warmly.

"Maybe so, but at least you made a friend in the process. Right?"

Thinking of Naruto, she couldn't help but smile softly. "Yeah…"

"Now, why don't I tell you a story while we walk? It's about the Divine and Fell Dragons and two brothers who represented the Moon and Sun."

Her curiosity was piqued at that. "Sure."

"Alright then. Long ago, when the world was still whole, two brothers set off to see everything they could."

* * *

_These brothers were the sons of a great Sage; one who was wise beyond his years and gave them both great power. The oldest was gifted with an Ebon Moon, and the eyes of his father. The youngest was given a Golden Sun, and the body of his father. Both were taught of peace from the great Sage, and he sent them both off in hopes of them finding the things that were missing so that peace would become more than a dream._

_As they traveled, the older brother grew stronger on his own; gaining Power for himself._

_As for the younger brother, he didn't get Power like his brother. Instead, he met and befriended dozens of people, creating a Love between himself and them in his wake._

_The years passed for them, and they soon began to see a way for peace in their own ways. However, the world was still vast and far beyond, leaving them with a whole other half to see before they could return to their father and give him their answer._

_They moved through countries, climbed mountains, braved caverns, and sailed through storms. Eventually, they found themselves on other half of the world; one that had been divided into many nations. And guarding those nations were two sibling dragons, one of Light and one of Shadow._

_Naga, the Divine Dragon of Light._

_Grima, the Fell Dragon of Shadow._

_Opposites in every way, yet they both cared for the world they watched over. So, when the two brothers set foot on their shores, they were naturally concerned what they would bring. In hopes of keeping innocent people – those who could not survive if there were to be conflict – safe, the dragons had the brothers be guided to the highest peak so that they may speak._

_Upon their arrival, the two dragons assumed human form in hopes of putting the brothers at ease._

_Naga, being a dragon of serenity and goodwill, greeted them both with open arms. Grima, however, looked at them both with apprehension and distrust._

_The elder brother, who had become even more powerful over the years, saw the dragons as insignificant and wouldn't speak to them. His Power had made him arrogant and he only chose to speak to those who would either stand on equal ground as him or swear loyalty to him._

_The younger brother, who had created bonds of Love with people all over the world, was more open to speaking with them. Just as Naga did for them, he greeted them both with acceptance and kindness. In them, he saw nothing more than two more people to welcome into his life._

_As he spoke with them, telling them about all he and his brother had seen, he found himself to be fascinated with their side of their world. A world that had been, since the beginning, free from chakra, yet living with their own identities and own abilities that only enticed his growing interest._

_The eldest brother, however, saw nothing worthy of his attention and finally separated from his brother; having seen enough to give an answer to their father. While he had seen enough, the younger brother felt he had only seen a glimpse and requested to stay so that he may experience more of the world he never knew._

_Granted the opportunity by the dragons, he stayed on their side of their world for years, finding himself hoping and planning for a day to unite the two halves of the world once more and create a peace that wouldn't just be for one part of the world; but for the _whole _world._

_When he had finally made the decision to return home, he and the dragons made a promise; a pact that they swore on their hearts and souls. If peace would not be achieved through them, then they would choose champions to make it possible. Each champion would bear the mark of one of them, and they would be the world's guiding key to peace._

_Upon the day of his return to the great Sage, the younger brother gave his answer for peace to his father; one that only needed to be said with just a single word._

_Love._

* * *

"And so, the great Sage decided that the younger brother's answer was the most reasonable, and he named him the successor to his will," finished Asura, staring up at the night sky as he and Lucina walked slowly down the dirt road.

"But…what about the older brother?" she asked, making the man slow to a stop and look down. She stopped a few steps later, looking back at him and seeing his face become one of regret. "Asura…?"

He sighed heavily, as if an immense weight was on his shoulders. "…My brother didn't take our father's decision well." Lucina's eyes widened at the admission. "He believed that his answer, Power, was the right way and, after our father passed away, he decided to prove it by challenging me for the right to be our father's successor. I didn't want to fight him, for I loved him too much to raise a hand to him. But, this only made him angrier and he began to threaten the people I had bonded with; the people I had grown to love. One of those people was my wife, who I had brought with me from your side of the world."

Lucina was silent as she listened to him speak. The more that she learned of Asura's brother, the more she grew to dislike him.

"It was only when he started to go through with his threats that I decided to fight him. My reluctance caused him to kill people I had loved, and I felt that I owed it to them and the bonds we shared to make my brother answer for what he did."

He resumed walking, Lucina at his side, as the night sky began to shift and change so that it showed the young girl glimpses of how devastating their battle was. If she had to describe it, she wouldn't have been able to say anything other than that it was like a battle between two gods. Each blow made was felt through the earth, breaking and changing it forever.

"It was the hardest thing I had ever been through… And not a day goes by where I don't regret having to fight my brother. But, he had become so lost through his own power, never once feeling anything for others and believing that those with Power were the deciders of everything." He shook his head as the images above faded away and returned to the night sky blanketed with glistening stars. "Anyway, I drifted away from what I was trying to tell you. See, the champions of myself, Naga, and Grima all bear marks that link to them. You hold the marks of the dragons," he gestured to her before smiling and finishing, "so, who do you think holds mine?"

Looking to his gesturing arm, she spotted the Golden Sun marking on his right palm. Realization dawned on her as she whispered, "Naruto…"

"Exactly… The two of you have become our much-needed champions in the fight for peace. Through you both, we hope that the world may become united and that a long-lasting peace will finally be found."

She was at a loss for words at that, absently noting that the dirt road had finally found an end. Before them was a fire pit that looked to have just been put out and three wooden stumps that acted as seats around it. Two of them were bare, but the last held small footprints that looked to belong to a young child.

_'Naruto…'_ she realized, concluding that he had been there recently.

"I know that this is a lot to take in, Lucina," Asura said, getting her attention, "but the three of us know that the two of you can do it. Plus, it's not like we're going to just throw you into it unprepared. You'll have us to help guide you, and anyone you meet to help you on your way. Not to mention…you both have each other, too."

"But…why us?"

"Naruto was chosen because he has the same potential that I had, and because my soul is linked to his own. As for you… Well, your parents will be able to help you. After all, their champions too."

Thinking on the marks her mother and father had, she realized that he was right. "But…they're not the champion that Naga and Grima are really choosing…are they?"

He crouched down to her level, placing a hand on her head and rubbing it gently. "Like I said, you're not alone in this. Just because you've been chosen doesn't mean you need to do everything on your own. Okay?"

The grin he gave her reminded her of Naruto, and when she blinked, she saw him standing in front of her giving the same grin. When she blinked again, though, Asura was back in his place.

Slowly, she nodded. "Okay… But, can I…talk to Naruto soon…please?"

His grin softened. "Sure. But for now, why don't you just rest? You've been told a lot tonight, so just sleep on it."

"Okay. And Asura?" He tilted his head in response, and she gave him a small smile. "Thank you…"

He only smiled at her as the dreamscape faded away.

* * *

The following day, both children found themselves lost in their thoughts. Both had been told that they would become more than what they ever thought they'd be, and they were marked for the very destiny that was before them.

It was challenging to accept, due to both of them being raised by people who told them about challenging fate/destiny and forging their own. For Lucina, she found this _fate_ to be not as bad as other _fates_ she had read and heard about. As for Naruto, the _destiny_ that was before him lead him to meeting Lucina, a new friend. It also let him know that there was a whole half of the world that he knew nothing about; making him excited about one day seeing it.

So, for the two of them, it wasn't something they felt a real _urge_ to challenge. Instead, they would see it through, standing beside one another for the sake of their homes, the people they loved, and the world itself. It was an exciting thing for them, to grow up and get stronger so that _they_ could be the heroes that they read or heard about as children.

So, they confided in the people they loved about their dreams. For Lucina, it was her parents. Chrom was worried for his daughter, but he wouldn't deny that it was a great honor to be chosen by the dragons; bearing the mark of Naga since his own birth.

As for Robin, this only solidified her beliefs that something _more_ was going on between her daughter and the boy she dreamed about. While she already planned to do anything for her child since she was born, that feeling skyrocketed when Lucina told her everything that Asura had explained to her.

Meanwhile, on Naruto's end, he had told the Hokage and the Ichiraku family; the three people he saw as his most precious loved ones. For the Ichiraku, they were concerned for him since they could practically feel the weight that was being placed on Naruto's shoulders. They had no doubt in is words since he had never once lied to them or did anything to earn their mistrust; but they knew that accepting a task of that magnitude was not without its own consequences.

As for the Hokage, he took a more measured approach to what the blonde boy had confided about unto him. While knowing it would put some strain on his relationship with Naruto, he had Inoichi perform a mind-walk on the boy and go through his memories and dreams. Once the man had finished, he told the Hokage everything that the Uzumaki had and saw nothing wrong with the boy's mental state.

If anything, his psychological health had gotten **_better_** since meeting Lucina, Naga, and Grima.

This put Hiruzen in a tough situation since he didn't want to push Naruto too far. However, the boy was determined to finish the task given to him, declaring proudly that he would stand by his new friend and help her bring peace. Not to mention that he was the village's Jinchūriki, and he was already meant to be a protector of the village in the eyes of the standing military.

While he wanted Naruto to have a real childhood, he knew that it was impossible with the way the boy had already lived. So, he steeled himself and pulled Naruto from the Academy, assigning him various tutors to help him get a jumpstart on his training. By his order, and with the full agreement of his Ninja Council (even if Danzo wanted to _personally_ teach him), he wanted Naruto to be able to match Chunin by the time his class was meant to be _Genin_.

He just prayed to the kami that his decision would be met with just a shred of mercy upon his death…and that Minato and Kushina would forgive him for his failings concerning their child.

* * *

It was a couple of nights later that the two champions finally had a chance to talk once more. Finding themselves in the dreamscape's castle, they sat on the balcony that overlooked the empty city, poking their legs through the stone guardrail that was carved to prevent anyone from simply walking off to their death.

"I'm glad that you weren't just a dream I had, Lucina," Naruto said, grinning brightly at her.

"I am too. I was so worried that everything that was happening wasn't real and that I was losing myself to my dreams." She looked embarrassed at her confession. "That sounds silly, doesn't it?"

"Nah," he waved off, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "I thought the same thing for a bit…"

She giggled at his guilty smile, finding it funny to see. "So…we're both supposed to help the world…"

"Yeah…" he agreed, awkwardness in his voice.

It was hard to figure out what to say after that, and Lucina searched for a way to break the awkward tension. An idea struck her as she asked, "So, what's your side of the world like?"

He looked grateful for the subject change, giving her his signature grin again. "Well, for starters, we have ninja who serve the Hidden Villages. There's a lot of them, but the five biggest villages are…"

The two didn't know how long they talked, sharing what they knew about their sides of the world with one another. Throughout the talk, they put aside how nervous they were about their destinies, their anxieties about not being good enough, and their own personal problems they had in their homes.

Here, in their shared dreamscape, the girl chosen by Dragons and the boy marked by the Sun found comfort in one another. The seeds of trust and friendship had been planted on their first meeting, and now they were being nurtured by this moment so that the two's relationship would blossom into one of great inspiration.

* * *

Hours turned into days.

Days turned to weeks.

Weeks turned to months.

And months turned into years.

Before anyone really knew it, four years had gone by. For the students in the Academy, it was near the end of their final year where they would finally graduate and become Genin.

For Naruto, though, it was just another day with his tutors. As time passed, he had grown into a fine young man, and he was showing the makings of a splendid ninja thanks to the people who had trained him.

Taijutsu, ninjutsu, stealth, fuinjutsu… They were all instructed onto him so that he would be ready to take his career head-on. Meanwhile, he had discovered a power unique to him while at the same time learned a couple of things from his best and closest friend.

In short, Naruto Uzumaki was ready for the trials he would soon face.

As for said best friend…

"Wind!" ordered a female voice with authority.

Instead of answering, a blue-haired teen with a double-edged sword said a chant under her breath as she swung her weapon, slicing cleanly through a swinging log that had been aimed at her.

"Fire!"

With another whispered chant, the sword was set aflame as she cut through another log, the blazing edges leaving scorch marks on the bark.

"Thunder!"

Another chant, and this time the blade hummed loudly with stray sparks jumping from its edges as the young woman cut through a third log, the electrical current making the cut all too easy for her.

"Alright, that's enough for now," a man spoke up, moving over to the circle the young woman stood in. "How are you feeling, Lucina?"

Wiping the sweat from her brow, the swordswoman smiled at her father. "I think I've gotten the hang of this, father."

He smiled back and clapped her on the back proudly. "That's my girl."

Robin then moved over and placed a hand gently on her daughter's shoulder. "Excellent work, sweetheart. You took my theory and showed how effective it was over these past few months. Next step is learning dark magic."

Lucina made a face at that. "Ugh… Do we have to? The Dark Arts always give me goosebumps."

Her parents chuckled at that, making her pout for a moment before she joined in. "All joking aside, you can't ignore that being marked by Grima gives you and I an affinity for that particular element. I'm not fond of it either, but I know it's an effective form of magic."

Lucina sighed in defeat and nodded. "Alright, mother. Will you be teaching me?"

"Yes, though Aversa will be giving me a hand in this as well. She's more experienced in this than I am, after all."

Her daughter nodded once more. Aversa, once being an enemy, had turned herself around after confronting her mirror self at the Wellspring of Truth. Everything she had buried had been brought to the surface for her to accept, and she was given a second chance by Chrom and Robin. It took some time, but the once Plegian found herself enjoying her second chance and had decided to act as a personal guard for Robin; as well as the woman's tutor for the Dark Arts.

"So, when do we start my training?" Lucina asked.

"We'll kick things off tomorrow. For now, let's get Naruto's next lesson planned," her mother suggested. "I've developed some more mock battles for him to look over and form strategies for, and I'm sure you still have some sword forms to teach him."

Lucina smiled at that, perking up at the mention of her closest friend (even if he was the_furthest_ from her in a literal sense). It was something that her parents noticed immediately, and it made Robin stifle a giggle while her husband looked a tad uncomfortable.

_'Ah, to be young again,'_ mused the Tactician as she and her family entered the castle.

* * *

Back in the Hidden Leaf, Naruto had just finished a series of tests that the Hokage had put him through so that the man could determine how his skillset should be ranked. The tests went well, and he was pleased that his order was met by his ninja. Naruto was easily Chunin level in skill, only needing the experience he would soon get out in the field.

He was surprised at how fast he had gotten the hang of using a sword over the years, but he chalked it up to learning from his _dream friend_ how to use one. However, it didn't really explain just how tactical he had become over the years, being able to come up with small scale plans on the fly while larger scaled ones took him some time to figure out; but were no less effective than his on-the-fly ones.

Now, it was time to assign the young man a permanent instructor to help further his skills and give him the field experience he would need. The problem was figuring out who to assign the blonde Jinchūriki to.

Looking through available Jonin, he found himself looking at a recently promoted Chunin from the Hyuuga Clan's Branch House. He was shown to be very talented in the field, especially with clan techniques (even a couple that were from the Main House). This left one of his talented, yet _very_ eccentric Jonin with one Genin short on his team due to his other students not having been promoted.

Seeing it as the best option for the moment, Sarutobi had his assistant send for Might Guy, the remaining Genin of Team 9, and Naruto Uzumaki. It was time for the boy to meet his new team.


	3. Chapter 3

_Fire Emblem: Bonds_

_Chapter Three: New Teams_

* * *

When Team 9 got their first look at their newest member, they each had their own thoughts about him.

Might Guy gave the young man one of his signature "Nice Guy" grins while he thought, _'He looks like he'll fit in well.'_

Rock Lee, Guy's young taijutsu protégé, gave the blonde a friendly thumbs-up that showed that he was excited to work with him. He was pretty open with his thoughts with that simple action.

As for Tenten, the resident markswoman of the many Hidden Leaf Genin, she looked to the sword that was strapped to his back by means of a black chain that was linked to the scabbard. She smirked at this and mused, _'About time I saw a rookie who uses weapons.'_

"It's nice to meet you all," Naruto greeted his new teammates with a small smile. "I'm looking forward to being part of the team."

"And we're looking forward to having you," Guy replied. "However, before we could get started, we need to see your skillset for ourselves."

Nodding, the Uzumaki noted, "I figured I'd have to show you. It's hard to just accept me with just written reports, after all."

The Jonin chuckled at the young teen and turned to his leader. "I'll take it from here, sir."

Sarutobi nodded once, adjusting his pipe before replying, "I expect a report within the week."

"Yes, sir," saluted the man before he took his team and new member away from the office and towards the training fields.

Along the way, the Genin took the time to get better acquainted with one another. "So, what's your name?" the lone kunoichi asked. "I'm Tenten, and this is Lee."

Returning the smiles that they gave him, he answered, "My name's Naruto Uzumaki. I think I remember seeing you guys doing a mission a couple of months ago; or you were just being nice and helping the Inuzuka Clan that day."

"No, that was a mission; a D-Rank to be specific. We'll probably be doing a few of those for your benefit."

"But do not worry, my new teammate!" exclaimed Lee with a bright grin. "I am sure that the three of us will be qualified for higher ranked missions in no time!"

"Actually, my youthful students, we won't know for sure about that until your ability to work together is brought up to a suitable level. It's impossible for you all to be able to work together perfectly on your first day as a team."

That brought the three Genin up short and they looked between one another unsurely.

"But," Guy continued, flashing them a supportive smile, "that's what I'm here for; to help you all find your synergy as Team 9."

The Genin returned his smile and nodded in agreement to his words. "I'll do my best to fill in that missing part, Guy-sensei," Naruto declared. "I have someone I need to help, and I need to be as strong as I can for her sake and mine."

This made Guy give the blonde a thumbs-up that was mirrored by Lee while Tenten gave him a smirk. By this point, the four of them had reached the desired training field. It had an open area, a river that connected to other training fields, and plenty of forest; making it a diverse space for training purposes.

"Alright then, my youthful students," began the eccentric Jonin, "I want to get a feel for how Naruto fights for myself so that I could come up with a workable method for team combat between you three. So, if you'll prepare yourself, we'll get started right away, Naruto."

The Uzumaki nodded in understanding, doing some stretches to get the kinks out of his body before he took a couple of breaths to calm his nerves. When he felt calm enough, he reached behind his shoulder and unsheathed his sword, showing that it was a double-edged weapon that was meant for piercing and slashing.

Holding it in front of him with both hands, Naruto spread his feet apart and centered himself, staring at his new teacher with determined blue orbs. "I'm ready."

Smirking at his form and how well he had eased himself into it, Guy got into the opening stance of the Heavy Fist style and replied, "Then begin!"

* * *

"Sir, why wasn't Naruto placed on my squad?" Kakashi Hatake asked the Hokage, waiting for the other newly appointed Jonin sensei to leave the man's office before speaking his mind.

"Because we had enough students for the teams, and Naruto is too far ahead of them to fit," easily answered the elderly man. "I had him trained privately for personal reasons, and my orders for his instructors were to make sure he was at least Chunin level in practical skill. He'll get the needed experience with Guy's team since Neji was promoted during the recent Chunin Exams in the Hidden Sand."

"Guy could've taken one of my students," argued the Jonin.

"Yes, but I decided against it. You'll have your hands full enough with young Sasuke and his rumored attitude problem. Not to mention juggling your other two students with said problem." He took a puff from his pipe and added, "Besides, you're not interested in him for any other reason than him being the son of Minato."

"It was my desire to teach sensei's son, sir."

"And that is exactly why I'm denying you. You refer to him as your _sensei's child_ instead of his name. You see him as nothing more than a link to your past and not as a young man with a promising future."

Kakashi narrowed his visible eye at that, taking the man's criticism quite personally. "With all due respect, sir-"

"I'll hear nothing else on this matter, Kakashi; so, drop it," ordered the Hokage with his own eyes narrowed. "Don't press the issue."

Bothered by the dismissal, Kakashi reluctantly nodded and left in a flicker of speed.

* * *

With a battle cry, Naruto leapt high into the air before hitting a flip and using the momentum to bring his blade down for a bisecting slash against Guy, who moved to the side and parried the blade by hitting the flat side with the back of his fist. The force of the parry threw Naruto off course, but he rolled with the missed attack, one hand holding his weapon while another reached into his leg pouch and flicking some shuriken mid-roll.

Guy easily sidestepped them and rushed his new student, who clicked his teeth and tossed his sword straight upward with a vicious spin. He then got into the basic taijutsu stance of the Hidden Leaf and engaged the Jonin in hand-to-hand. He winced whenever he blocked or tried to redirect a strike, finding the man's strength to be incredibly biting against his techniques.

Idly, he noticed that his weapon was beginning to descend, so he rolled with a punch to his left shoulder, bringing his hands together into a crossed seal and summoning a clone that immediately threw two handfuls of shuriken at Guy, who pulled out a kunai to deflect them. Meanwhile, the real Naruto leapt high into the air, caught his sword while another clone appeared beneath his feet, and then kicked off the clone so that he could shoot downwards for a high-speed piercing strike.

"RAAAHHH!" he roared before being completely dumbfounded when Guy turned in place and clapped his palms together against the blade, halting his momentum instantly while stopping the tip of the blade from doing anything more than poke a hole into his Jonin vest.

With a grin, Guy declared, "Excellent form!" He allowed Naruto to drop back to his feet while Tenten and Lee moved to stand beside the blonde. "I can see that you prefer to fight in close quarters, but I'm curious as to why you only used two ninjutsu in our spar."

"I wanted to test myself against you in strictly close quarters, sensei," Naruto replied. "I've heard about you when I was doing my taijutsu training, and I wanted to test my skills ever since I did. I know other ninjutsu, but I didn't want to use them since they're more mid-range."

Laughing boisterously, the man kept his grin and gave the blonde a thumbs-up. "A splendid answer! It's great to see the next generation testing their Youth against the older generation!"

"Guy-sensei, perhaps Naruto-san will be interested in learning about the Flames of Youth!" Lee suggested, much to Tenten's growing horror.

Leaning towards her new teammate, she whispered, "Please, for the love of the kami, do NOT say you are!"

Confused, he only gave her a nod before he was instructed to show his most powerful ninjutsu; barring the Shadow Clone technique. With a grin, he turned to face the training dummies before forming a clone beside him. Both went through different sets of handseals before they both unleashed their jutsu.

"Fire Style: Fireball!" the clone cried before blowing out a moderate sized sphere of flames.

"Wind Style: Drilling Air Bullet!" the original added, slamming his stomach to blow out a drilling ball of wind.

Once the wind technique hit the fireball, the flames grew in intensity and engulfed all three of the training dummies in a blazing inferno that left the wooden posts incredibly charred; enough that parts of the wood broke off and turned to ash in the breeze. With its part done, the clone dispelled while the original Uzumaki turned to his team with a bright smile.

"That's my strongest ninjutsu since it's a combination. I was tested for my affinities and found that I have a high Wind Nature and a small Fire Nature. I know one other wind jutsu, but the Fireball Jutsu is the only fire technique I know."

"Nice kaboom," Tenten complimented with an impressed whistle, circling the three burnt posts. "Definitely gonna be useful in a tight spot."

"Most impressive, my youthful teammate!" praised Lee. "Now, we have a well-balanced squad with you as our ninjutsu specialist!"

"Oh, uh," Naruto began with a sheepish head rub. "Actually, I specialize in fuinjutsu."

That caught Tenten's interest. "Oh yeah?"

Nodding, Naruto pulled out a notebook from his back pouch and handed it to her, letting her browse through his personal notes on the intricate art of sealing. As she read, he turned to Guy and continued, "Turns out, fuinjutsu came rather easy to me. It's really interesting when you take the time to look over how certain markings work in the seals, and how little tweaks can completely alter the seal as a whole."

"Yes, I'm aware of how tricky the subject can be," Guy replied. "I, personally, only use sealing scrolls since they're useful on and off the field while explosive notes are great for combat. Other than those two, I haven't continued on the subject."

"I, unfortunately, cannot use ninjutsu or genjutsu because of an issue with my chakra," Lee added, giving a determined look towards Naruto. "But, I have decided to devote myself to taijutsu and show that I can be a splendid ninja even without them."

"I'm sure you'll get there, Lee," Naruto commented with a smile. "Besides, I heard legends that ninjas were still around before chakra was even discovered. So, maybe there could be some old books on the past about them."

Lee grinned at that, excited to see if there were any such books. Guy then spoke up, "Nice use of combining your jutsu. Not many Genin realize how the elements can help or impede each other until they're Chunin or even Jonin."

"Yeah, my ninjutsu instructor told me the same thing when he was teaching me that combination I used. So, is there anything else you wanted to test me in, sensei?"

"Unless there's something you wanted to add, I think I've seen enough," the Jonin replied before his eyes widened at the golden chain that poked out of Naruto's right shoulder and snaked around his arm before coiling repeatedly around his hand for a makeshift glove. "That chain…"

"You've seen that before?" Tenten asked, having looked up from Naruto's notebook when he brought out the chain.

"Only once, and it was used by someone who passed away years ago. She was an Uzumaki like yourself, Naruto."

Naruto nodded at that, saying nothing on the subject. The truth was, he was already informed about his mother during his final year of instruction. It was when he read a passage on the Uzumaki Clan that he brought up the subject of his family to the Hokage.

It still surprised him how much the village leader looked when he told Naruto about her and the relation she shared with him. He was told that she was the previous container for the Kyuubi and that she gave up her life to protect him, which relieved him beyond measure; eliminating the fear that she had abandoned him at birth.

As for his father, the Hokage had promised to tell him when he was officially made a Chunin; and not just one in a practical sense. While bothered at having to wait longer, he accepted the deal and added it to his reasons for getting stronger.

"At any rate, we'll start our team training tomorrow. For now, I'll be coming up with a training schedule for you three to go by starting then," Guy bid before he left in a blur.

"I'll go and train over by the river," Lee informed his teammates before he walked towards the stream.

Tenten handed Naruto his notebook before she said, "I'd like to stay and chat some more, but I promised my folks to help with the store today. See you tomorrow, Naruto."

"You too!" he called back to her retreating figure before he gave Lee a wave and headed back towards the main districts of the village. He felt that there was a well-deserved bowl of ramen waiting for him after his tests today.

* * *

With a grunt, Lucina deflected a heavy blow from a bandit's axe before she spun around him and knocked him out with her hilt striking the back of his head. She then channeled lightning magic through her blade and swung at a mage, shocking them into unconsciousness.

She looked to her two teammates and smiled when she saw Severa, daughter of Cordelia and Lon'qu, knock out a mercenary with a shield bash to the face.

Her other teammate – and cousin – Owain, son of her aunt Lissa and Kellam, finished off the last of the mages by getting the jump on them from behind and bashing their heads together, knocking them both out.

"Nice work, you two," the bluenette praised. "I appreciate the help with this request of the Shepherds."

"No problem, cousin," Owain replied with a bright smile. "Always happy to sate my sword hand from going rampant!"

Severa rolled her eyes at his words, crossing her arms and smirking at Lucina. "Anything to get away from the base for a bit. I swear, mother's getting way too paranoid about my safety." She scowled and looked away to hide her faint blush. "Stupid, overprotective moms…" she grumbled quietly, hiding her embarrassment.

Lucina caught the blush and fought a laugh before she and her teammates rounded up the knocked-out bandits and tied them up for the local authorities to handle. After getting paid for their efforts, they headed back for Ylisse where their parents were no doubt anxious to hear how their first "solo" mission.

Along the way, Owain asked, "So, when are we gonna meet this Naruto guy that mom mentioned you and your folks were helping?"

Lucina mentally groaned, wishing that her aunt wasn't such a gossip. How was she supposed to explain that her best friend was literally met in a dream?

"Naruto?" Severa questioned, raising a brow at them. "Who's that?"

"My best friend," Lucina answered. "He and I met years ago and promised to meet again when we both were stronger."

"So…he's not in the Ylisse countries?"

"No, he lives across the ocean, far beyond the horizon." She stared off in the direction of the sea and smiled faintly. "One day, we'll see each other again."

Severa smirked. "Sounds like he's _more_ than a friend to you, Lucina."

Blushing, the swordswoman ignored the teasing and kept her gaze forward, making Severa snicker while Owain looked lost. "I don't get it," he admitted. "What do you mean, Severa?"

"If you can't figure it out, then don't worry your little head about it," she brushed off, walking a bit faster so that she could be in stride with Lucina.

Scratching his head, Owain wondered if this was a girl thing.

* * *

"Nice work, you three," Chrom praised after hearing their report. "The people of that town will definitely remember your actions today."

"Thank you, father," Lucina replied, standing at attention with her teammates.

"Based on how well you work together, I'd say that this three-unit squad is almost perfect."

"Almost, sir?" Severa asked, her brow raised.

"Well, while all three of you are good with a sword, and Lucina can incorporate magic, you still need more ranged units." He pulled out some papers and handed them to Lucina. "Those are possible additions for you to choose from. I want this squad to stay relatively small so that it can be as mobile as possible; so, only pick who you think would be best."

She took a brief look at the papers before rolling them up and nodding to Chrom. "I'll have one picked out in a couple of days, father."

"Good. Don't pick one right away, but try not to take too long, either. For now, you three are dismissed."

"Sir," bid the three teenage Shepherds, prompting Severa and Owain to leave while Lucina stayed. "Something on your mind?"

"…How's that ship meant to sail to the other side of the world coming?" she asked after a brief pause.

"Slowly," he answered honestly. "We're trying to find the most durable and long-lasting materials for it to survive the journey. We don't know what it will be up against or for how long it'll be out on the water before it reaches land."

She sighed and nodded in understanding. "Okay." She turned to leave before stopping at the door. "Father?"

"Yes?"

"Would it be possible to have my team come with me when I leave for the Elemental Nations?" she requested, biting her lip anxiously.

That made the man pause, looking both concerned and thoughtful. No doubt his daughter could use the familiar faces and strength of her teammates, but they're all still young and their families would no doubt be very concerned for their safety. He was still apprehensive about finishing the ship his daughter was so determined to sail in.

"…I'll think it over," he answered slowly, not looking at her so she wouldn't be able to convince him. She and her mother could both give him a look that makes him think twice about things. "For now, go find your mother. She wanted to speak with you."

Lucina smiled and nodded to her father before she left him alone. She walked away from the Shepherd's meeting chamber – which was added into the Ylisse castle some years ago – and headed for the library. Her mother always liked to spend time surrounded by those books, never stopping her pursuit of higher knowledge.

She easily found her taking the center table, surrounded by small stacks of books while reading through a random one. "You wanted to see me, mother?"

Robin looked up from her book and gave her daughter a smile. "Yes, I did. But first, how was your mission?"

"It went off without any issues. Severa and Owain were both a big help."

"Wonderful. Now, what I wanted to speak to you about was that I met Grima in a recent dream."

Lucina's eyes widened. "What did he say?"

"That's the thing; he didn't say a word. He just took me down a dirt road and led me to a small campfire." Lucina gasped silently at that. "He offered me a seat and I saw two smaller pairs of footprints on the ground in front of two other open seats. My guess was that they belonged to you and Naruto when you were both younger."

She nodded. "Yes, I remember seeing Naruto's when Asura took me to that campfire."

"Then, he had me look into the fire and showed me something that I drew for you." She gave Lucina a knowing smile as she reached over to a stack of papers and pulled out one seemingly at random.

Once Lucina had it in her hands, she had a smile on her face as she saw a map of the Elemental Nations that was a work in progress. However, there were two areas on the map that were marked and titled.

The first was to the east, marked with a swirling insignia that Naruto always wore on his clothes. It was titled _Hidden_ _Whirlpool_ _Village_. "Naruto's clan used to live here," Lucina commented, pointing at the insignia for her mother to see.

"That would be the Uzumaki, right?" At her daughter's nod, she teased, "Lucina Uzumaki… I think it sounds lovely."

"Mother!" Lucina cried out with a deep blush, looking scandalized. "It's not like that!"

"Oh? I beg to differ," Robin teased again, laughing at her daughter's face resembling a tomato with blue hair.

Pouting, Lucina looked to the other marked spot and pointed to it. "This is where he lives now; the _Hidden Leaf Village_."

Robin had calmed down her laughter enough to take a look, mentally estimating the distance between the two marked positions. "It looks like it'll be quite a trip from the Whirlpool to the Leaf; and that's after your unknown-in-length journey across the sea."

Her daughter sighed at that. "Yeah, I can see that…"

"What's wrong, dear?"

"…I just want to be able to see him face-to-face," she confessed, setting the map down. "We talk in our dreams and have learned so much about one another…"

"But it doesn't feel as significant at times, does it?" Robin guessed, earning a despondent nod. "Don't worry so much, Lucina. You'll see him someday, and I'll bet that he's just as eager to meet you in person too." She caressed her daughter's cheek lovingly. "Just be patient, and keep pressing forward."

Lucina gave her mother a smile before the two of them shared a warm embrace, with Robin's hand trailing through the long blue tresses of the Ylissean princess.


	4. Chapter 4

_Fire Emblem: Bonds_

_Chapter Four: Waves on the Horizon_

* * *

A month had passed since Naruto's induction to Team 9, and he proved himself to be a valuable member with how quickly he molded himself into their teamwork.

Like he was trained to be, Lee was the frontline combatant of the team. He was meant to break through enemy lines with his taijutsu, knowing his teammates would cover him.

This was where Tenten came in. She was the ranged specialist with in aim that seasoned Chunin would envy. However, that didn't mean that was _all_ she was capable of. After all, being a student of the greatest taijutsu user of the Hidden Leaf guaranteed her some pointers in close range combat. This was where swords, clubs, or even polearms came in handy.

As for Naruto, he played roles in both close range and mid-range. With his sword skills – ones that were taught by his best friend – he could slice through enemy ranks with ease. Though, if he needed range, he had ninjutsu to call on thanks to his Wind and Fire affinities; both of which offered plenty of options.

However, another role he played was in strategy; especially when it came to disrupting others. Thanks to his studies in fuinjutsu, he was able to create rather elaborate traps that he and his teammates could lure unsuspecting targets into. Whether the seal tags were classic paper bombs, or if they held something more creative (like pepper gas, for example), they definitely caught bandits and even lower tier ninja off guard.

The first two weeks as a team were spent strictly by raising their teamwork; something Guy stressed was invaluable to them as a unit. Sure, they could strive on their own, but the Leaf's philosophy was that of teamwork through trying times. If a team of prodigies couldn't work together, they were doomed against a team that _could_ work together.

It was fact.

The last two weeks were used to test their new teamwork with a handful of missions that dealt with bandit camps, or even lower ranked rogue ninja. Guy only needed to step in once when a rogue Chunin from the Hidden Sand almost pulled off a forbidden jutsu against his students. Other than that time, the trio performed excellently and proved themselves to be a cohesive unit; one that he was positive would breeze through the next Chunin Exams.

Currently, Team 9 had a free day to use however they wished. Lee used it to train like always, continuously striving to better himself in any way possible. Tenten used it for weapon maintenance by means of her family forge. She was in the middle of making a weapon like Naruto's sword so that she had an ace in the hole.

As for Naruto, he used that time to practice one of the advanced techniques Lucina had showed him over the past couple of days. The style that Chrom passed down to her demanded physical fitness and great agility, especially with its strongest attack.

Aether was a peculiar technique that involved two decisive strike. The first, when used with the natural magic Lucina's side of the world had, restored strength that was taken from the target. The second broke through their defenses for a finishing blow, and it could be strong enough to tear into even the toughest armor.

Or at least, that's what Lucina was told by her father.

Unfortunately, Naruto couldn't use their magic, so Aether was beyond his reach. However, that didn't mean he couldn't throw his own chakra into the mix, somehow. And so, here he was going over some notes and illustrations on the final technique with the hope of making it his own.

_**"****Your mate has really left an impression on you,"**_ a familiar voice teased, making a blonde brow twitch.

_'For the last time, furball, she is not my mate!'_

Within his seal, Kurama laughed loudly. He always got a kick out of riling up his current container; something he wouldn't have thought of doing if Asura hadn't vouched for him years ago. The knowledge that the blonde Uzumaki was the next transmigrant of the Sage's second son took the Bijuu by great surprise. He had always thought the boy was just another human who would abuse his power.

Turns out, Naruto didn't want to use the fox's power at all; unless there wasn't any other option. That only made Kurama lean more towards the option of giving the young man the_benefit of the doubt_.

_**"****Then what do you call what you're trying to do? She taught you something that you can't fully pull off; so, you took steps to make it your own. I call that an **_**impression**_** if I ever saw one."**_

_'Dammit, Kurama! I'm doing this so that I won't be a burden on her in the future! She and I need to be at our best when the time comes, and that means I need to do everything I can for her sake!'_

_**"****_No need to get so defensive, brat. I was only teasing you. Besides, I know that you're doing this for her."_**_

_'As long as you understand…'_

_**"****Of course,"**_ agreed the Bijuu before grinning mischievously. _**"I understand that you've found yourself a real vixen!"**_

_'KURAMA!'_ mentally roared Naruto, his cheeks ablaze while the fox's laughter echoed and faded away in his mind. "Damn walking floor rug…" he grumbled in embarrassment.

* * *

Grunting as she held back her cousin's practice blade, Lucina shifted her weight so that he would lose balance before she rolled away and sent a weak burst of wind to push him further from her. Tensing her legs, she leapt high into the air with her weapon overhead. Her body began to flip and spin at great speed as she dropped, and Owain was forced to block the hit with his weapon; his body shaken from the force of the impact.

"Dammit," he cursed, feeling his knees threaten to give out before he forced his body to push Lucina back. Taking a quick breath, he shifted his stance and went for a dashing slash that he had seen swordsmen from Chon'sin utilize.

Unfortunately, he didn't have much practice with it and wound up losing his footing when Lucina evaded the strike. His face met the dirt and he groaned pitifully while Lucina sweatdropped at his actions.

"Doofus," they heard a familiar voice speak up, making them turn their gazes to Severa. "I told you Iaijutsu was too different from your natural sword style. Only people like my old man can pull it off flawlessly."

"To be fair, Lon'qu was initially trained in that style," Lucina commented, slightly defending her cousin. "I'm surprised he didn't teach it to you, though."

"I'm not one for _grace_ or _speed_," Severa waved off. "That's more my parents' thing."

"Clearly," teased the bluenette princess, earning a rude gesture from her friend.

"So, what's the score now?"

Owain groaned again and grumbled against the dirt while Lucina rolled her eyes. "I lost count of my wins, but Owain has about four on me."

"Five!" shouted the young man. "I have _five_ wins, Lucina!"

"Right, my mistake." She then looked around before returning her attention to Severa. "Where's Noire?"

Palming her forehead with a frustrated sigh, the young brunette answered, "She's begging her mother to remove another hex that was tested on her."

Owain and Lucina both cringed at that, both aware of Tharja and her liberal use of her own daughter as a test subject for hexes. "I pity her; I really do," Owain noted.

"And the world pities you," the daughter of Cordelia retorted as she reached down and tugged his cheek mockingly.

"Break it up, you two," Lucina ordered. "We need Noire here for the next mission."

"What's going on?" Owain asked, standing up and at attention.

"Just a scouting mission. There are rumors of rogue priests forming a cult near some of the farming villages. Father wants us to check their validity."

Both of them nodded before the sound of rushed breathing was heard. Three heads turned to see Noire, daughter of Tharja and Virion, rushing over. When she reached them, she needed a moment to catch her breath while she also tried to apologize at the same time.

"Breathe, Noire," eased Lucina. After a few moments, the younger archer stood up straight and gave her captain a nervous smile. "Everything alright?"

"I-I'll be okay," she replied. "M-Mother just wanted me t-to test out her l-latest hex for her…"

"What was it?" Severa asked with a raised brow.

The shyness of the bluenette archer suddenly disappeared as her visage became rather fierce. "None of your business, shorty!"

"_Shorty_?!" Severa roared back as the two butted heads, practically snarling at one another.

Sighing to herself, Lucina once again wondered if the split personality Noire had was going to cause problems. She could handle the shy side of her, but the fiercer side was too much of a loose cannon.

"Enough!" she ordered, giving them both hard looks. "We have an assignment and we're going to start it now. Understand?" Owain and Severa nodded immediately while Noire, still in her moodier personality, grumbled for a moment before nodding stiffly. "Good. Now, let's head out."

* * *

A couple more weeks passed and Team 9 found themselves standing before their Hokage. The man had a concerned demeanor that immediately had them standing at attention.

"I know that you were hoping to take on another C-Rank with your team, Guy; however, something has come up with Team 7."

"What happened?" the Jonin questioned.

"They had been given their first C-Rank about a week ago, but the client held back some important information concerning the parameters. As such, the mission has been bumped up in rank. I would send a higher leveled squad to back them up; but I don't have many available with the Chunin Exams coming up."

"They're being hosted here, sir?" Tenten asked.

"Yes, and it's been quite a hassle since we've received more acceptances to our invitations than we expected. As such, I've decided to send your team since they're the closest one we have to a team of Chunin; and sending ANBU would be overkill."

Guy nodded as he accepted the scroll detailing Kakashi's report of the mission and its setbacks. Reading it quickly, he nodded and placed it in his flak jacket before turning to his students. "Pack for a week's minimum trip. Any tools or necessities are to be brought as well. We'll be dealing with Zabuza Momochi and an unknown partner on this mission."

"From the Hidden Swordsmen of the Mist?" Naruto and Tenten asked in sync, turning to one another in slight surprise.

"Yes. Meet me at the main gates of the village in fifteen minutes."

"Yes, sensei!" saluted the three Genin before they all left to pack.

Left alone with his leader, Guy asked, "Not to belittle my team, but are we really the best you could send?"

"With everything else that's happening? Yes," Sarutobi replied. "I've seen your reports on their progress, Guy. I believe they'll be able to handle this mission."

"I think so, too; but I don't like placing them in unnecessarily risky situations."

"I understand. However, you and Kakashi are both Jonin for a reason. Your Genin teams are meant to assist you in situations like this."

"Yes, sir."

"Kakashi has leadership for this mission, Guy. Be sure to let your team know."

"I will," the Jonin promised before he left in a blur of speed.

* * *

Less than a couple of days later, Team 9 found themselves reaching the impoverished village of the Land of Waves. Along the way, Guy had told his team what they were dealing with in terms of Gatou and his iron grip on the lives of the people. Needless to say, his students found themselves quickly despising the greedy man and his heartless actions towards the poor people of Wave.

"Excuse me," an unfamiliar voice spoke up, making them turn to see a very pale teen wearing a Hidden Leaf headband. "You're Might Guy, yes?"

Nodding once, Guy replied, "You must be one of Kakashi's Genin. We're here to back up your team for the remainder of this mission."

The Genin nodded in understanding before he led the other four to the house of Tazuna, the client for the mission and engineering manager of the to-be-completed bridge. When the rest of Team 7 saw their backup, Kakashi looked relieved while Sasuke and Sakura both looked to the lone blonde in recognition.

"Glad you and your team could make it, Guy," Kakashi greeted, stiffly standing up to shake his fellow Jonin's hand. "You got here quickly; as expected."

"Of course, we did," boasted Guy with a proud smile. "My team barely took any breaks to get here, and they're still ready for whatever comes our way."

"Sensei, please don't just assume we're not tired after that long sprint," Tenten pleaded with a tired huff. "I'm not a stamina freak like you three."

The three males of Team 9 had the decency to look sheepish at her accusation.

"Haven't seen you in a while," Sasuke spoke up, referring to Naruto. "I thought you dropped out, loser?"

Naruto merely raised a brow at the insult before shrugging haplessly. "I was pulled out for private lessons for a few years before being placed on Guy-sensei's squad."

"Why would you need private lessons?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Sorry. That's personal."

This made her huff in annoyance while Sasuke actually felt jealous of Naruto getting private tutors while he felt his time was wasted in the Academy.

Kakashi steered things back on track. "We believe that Zabuza will be fit again in a few days. Until then, I want your team to patrol and help watch Tazuna-san."

"And what of your team?" Guy asked.

"I'm in the middle of training them for the eventual conflict. I'm also recovering from my first encounter with Zabuza, since I used my Sharingan too much."

"I warned you about overexerting that eye of yours, Kakashi," admonished the eccentric Jonin with a sigh. He then nodded in agreement and added, "We'll keep an eye on things. Just get your students ready."

"Appreciate it, Guy."

With that out of the way, Team 9 was introduced to the client and his family. Tsunami presented herself as a polite woman who was doing everything she could to get by while Gatou bled the village of its assets. Inari, her son, was quiet and gloomy; something that bothered the Genin. However, what really got them was how he dismissed them so readily and declared they were going to die by Gatou.

That one statement got under their skin, but they didn't say anything in response to his depressing prediction. After the introductions, Tsunami offered them any remaining spare rooms her home had, but Guy declined.

"You've got enough on your plate, Tsunami-san. We'll be fine in our tents," the man assured her.

What he didn't say was that he had seen how low the woman's cupboards looked in terms of food. He didn't want to take advantage of her kindness, and neither did his team when he told them why he declined her offer.

So, Team 9 set up their individual tents around the house so that they could form a perimeter around it. For added protection, Naruto placed some trap seals on some of the trees surrounding the house; just in case any of Gatou's men got any ideas.

Now, it was simply a waiting game for Guy and his team.

* * *

"So, what do you think?" Robin asked as she presented the finished ship to Lucina and her team.

Blue eyes widely surveyed the floating vessel, and a smile formed on her face as she saw how sturdy it looked. "It looks great! I didn't think it'd be ready so soon."

"Your father wanted to take some more time looking over some other materials, but I helped him see otherwise. What we had was more than ready for this project."

"He's just worried, mother."

"True, but so am I; and I know this will be enough," Robin assured with a smile.

"This looks like it was made by the Plegians, Aunt Robin," Owain noted.

"It was. They and Regna Ferox worked together to make this ship. According to Chrom, they said that it was the least they could do after everything that had happened between our countries."

"Damn," Severa eloquently summarized. "That's good to know."

"H-How long did it t-take to make?" Noire asked, her shy persona in the forefront.

"I estimate that it took just under a month," the Tactician of Ylisse answered. "Usually ships are made in shorter time. However, when the crewmen making the ship were told what it was being used for, they decided to take more time and ensure it was ready for such a voyage."

Nudging her friend in the side, Severa teased, "Looks like you'll be seeing your Prince Charming sooner than you hoped, _Princess_."

The bluenette growled while her cheeks became flushed. "Don't make me hurt you, Severa…"

"Now," Robin spoke up again, earning their attention, "as much as Chrom and I trust you and your team, Lucina, we both felt that it would be best if one of the older Shepherds went with you on your trip. This will be much bigger than any of the missions you've taken, after all."

"That makes sense," acquiesced the swordswoman. "So, who's going to be our chaperone?"

"You say it like it's the end of the world, dear," her mother joked. "Besides, I'm looking forward to the trip."

_That_ caught them by surprise. "You're coming with us?" Severa asked. "I was sure my mother would've demanded she came."

"Oh, believe me, she almost did," Robin awkwardly replied. "However, the rest of us all agreed that I was more suited for this trip and could act as a liaison between our side of the world and the Elemental Nations. I've prepared myself for this, which is why I'll be accompanying you all."

The others understood what she meant, though Lucina gave her mother a dry look. "…You just want to meet Naruto too, don't you?"

"How could you suggest something like that?" her mother asked back dramatically, this time earning dry looks from the others as well; even Noire. She blushed at getting caught before chuckling. "Fine, you caught me. While I am best suited for this, I _am_ looking forward to meeting him, as well. After all," here, her smile grew all the more teasing, "I need to give him my blessing for taking my daughter's hand."

Turning bright red, Lucina shouted out, "MOTHER!"

* * *

"That's great!" Naruto exclaimed happily, sitting beside Lucina in the library of their shared dreamscape. "I can't believe you never told me you were making a ship until now!"

"I was hoping to surprise you when I arrived," she confessed, feeling a bit guilty for keeping him in the dark. "Mother wants to come too; and I'm going to be bringing my team, as well."

"Sounds good. Our teams will be able to meet up and we could escort you all to the Leaf."

She couldn't help but smile at his excitement. Truthfully, she was just as excited as he was; she just showed more restraint. "So, you said you were acting as backup for another team?"

"Yeah. Team 7 is led by someone named Kakashi Hatake. He's a big deal among the Jonin and is known for copying a thousand jutsu."

"That's incredible," she noted with slight awe. "But I doubt he has mastery over those copied techniques."

"I'd bet he mastered a handful of them and use others if there's a need for them."

"That makes sense. So, who else is on that team?"

"Two of the Genin are old classmates of mine. One is Sakura Haruno and she was given the tile of Kunoichi of the Year. The other is Sasuke of the Uchiha Clan."

"Wasn't the clan that was wiped out by one of its own?" asked the princess.

"Yeah, and the killer is Sasuke's brother, Itachi. Sasuke wants to get stronger and avenge his clan; but he's a real ass to anyone who tries to get close to him."

"I'm guess you two didn't see eye-to-eye."

"Understatement. Anyway, the last member is someone named Sai. I don't know much about him other than that he likes to draw and paint with ink."

"Hmm… How do you think the mission will go?"

The blonde shrugged at the question. "I'm sure we'll be fine. We have two squads led by Jonin on the mission, I have faith in my team's abilities, and Team 7 looks alright. I think we can handle it."

"Well, don't get too confident out there. I don't want you to get killed after I gave you such good news, after all," she joked.

Laughing alongside her, the young Uzumaki nodded. "I'll be careful, Lucina-chan; I promise."

"Good," she replied before her Mark of Grima flashed once. "I gotta go. I'll talk to you soon, Naruto."

"Can't wait," he said with a grin.

She was about to leave, but she hesitated for a moment which confused him. His confusion turned into stunned surprise when she leaned over and pecked him on the cheek. The last thing he noted before she left were her reddened cheeks.

When he regained focus, he saw that a young woman dressed in a pink yukata was about to wake him. Beside her was a basket filled with wild herbs. "You shouldn't be sleeping out here, you know. It gets very cold at night."

Standing up with a stretch, he replied, "I can handle some cold. My cloak makes a very good blanket, after all."

"I suppose that's true," she agreed. "May I ask what a ninja is doing here in Wave?"

"We're trying to help these people get back on their feet. I hope we pull it off, because they don't deserve someone like Gatou breathing down their necks…"

"Based on the rumors and what I've also seen, I agree with you. I'm Haku, by the way."

"Naruto," he greeted, shaking her hand with a smile. "You need help collecting herbs?"

"No, I can manage. I only need a bit more for my companion. They're pretty ill and these should help."

"Good luck getting them back on their feet, then," he bid, getting ready to leave.

"Naruto-san," she called, getting his attention again. "I'd like to ask you something."

"Go ahead."

"You've been raised to be a ninja, so you must have some strength. I'm wondering where you think that strength comes from?"

He scratched his head thoughtfully. "Well, I'm trying to get stronger so that I can watch my friend's back. She and I need to be ready for the future, and I don't want to drag her down."

"Is she precious to you?"

"Of course, she is," he immediately answered, his face brimming with determination. "She's the most important person in the world to me."

His response made Haku smile softly. "Then I have no doubt you'll be as strong as you hope to be when the time comes. To me, a person is at their strongest when they're protecting someone they love; and I can tell that you really love this woman."

His cheeks turned a deep red as he involuntarily remembered Lucina kissing him on the cheek. However, he still smiled at the truth in Haku's notary. "Yeah… I really _do_ love her."

"She's lucky to have someone like you, then." She gave the blonde Uzumaki a polite bow as she bid, "I wish you good luck on your quest, Naruto-san."

"You too, Haku. It was nice talking with you," he replied, giving her a wave as she walked off.

_**"****Finally admitted it, eh?"**_ Kurama spoke up, grinning teasingly from within the seal.

"I swear to the kami above, I will use you as a throw rug," grumbled the blonde in embarrassment as he walked back to Tazuna's home.

* * *

"This sucks," groused the blonde Uzumaki as he and his teammates stood guard at the house. "Everyone else gets to go have an awesome battle at the bridge and we're stuck here…"

"Quit griping, Whiskers," Tenten admonished. "Guy-sensei made a good point about Gatou possibly targeting Tsunami-san and her son. It's the best way to get to Tazuna-san."

"Tenten's right. Besides, it wasn't our call to make," Lee added. "Kakashi-sensei wanted us to stay while Guy-sensei gave him a hand against Zabuza."

Sighing in defeat, the blonde grumbled out, "Fine, I get it… I'm just so bored…"

"Join the club," Tenten fired back with a joking undertone as she polished one of her kunai.

A distant rustling of bushes made them tense for an instant before they resumed their current posture. The first thing to do to reverse a sneak attack was to feign ignorance; which was how they looked when two men rushed out of the foliage with their swords ready to be drawn.

Tenten and Naruto recognized their initialization of Iaijutsu, and they both leapt up while hurling handfuls of shuriken at them. The one closest to them clicked his teeth in annoyance as he drew his katana and started to bat away all the thrown weaponry before he was forced to roll to the side and away from Lee's diving kick.

Unfortunately, when he dodged, his partner was left wide open for the kick. It struck home in the man's face while Lee gave a battle cry of, "Dynamic Entry!"

"Fuck!" the man cursed as he cradled his bleeding face; the kick having broken his nose.

"Zōri!" the first man called out in concern before his danger sense went off. Not even bothering to look at what was coming, he dived forward and narrowly avoided being brained by a heavy bo staff wielded by Tenten.

The one named Zōri forced himself to stand as he ignored his throbbing nose. "Damn brats," he growled out as he and his partner, Waraji, moved in for a coordinated attack; aiming for Lee, who was closest to them.

"Lee, fall back!" Naruto called out, slamming his hands on the ground while glaring at the two samurai.

The taijutsu enthusiast complied without hesitation, and a pair of golden chains broke out from where he once stood. They intercepted the samurai and wrapped around their katana, yanking the swords from their grips and leaving them open for Tenten to land behind them and render them unconscious with her staff.

"Nice!" praised the blonde as he recalled his chains. He then went inside to check on Tsunami and Inari while Tenten tied up the knocked-out duo with ninja wire. "See if you can get any info from them," he called out as he entered the home.

"With pleasure," Tenten replied with a wicked smirk, one that made Lee unconsciously shiver.

_'Guy-sensei, I've learned today that women can be terrifying,'_ he mentally noted.

* * *

Rushing towards the bridge was Team 9, having learned from the samurai (after Tenten had liberty to threaten them with _many_ pointy objects) that Gatou intended to double-cross Zabuza after the man weakened himself and the Leaf Ninja during their fight. To keep Tazuna's family safe, Naruto left them a dozen clones, which Tsunami was grateful for.

"We're almost there!" Lee called out, getting his teammates to notice an abnormal mist that enshrouded the bridge. "Onward to a youthful battle!" he roared before disappearing in a burst of speed, leaving his teammates to sweatdrop as they kept their pace.

"…Did I ever thank you for warning me about _Youth_?"

"Don't think so."

"Thank you.

"No problem."

When they arrived at the bridge, the saw that Lee was helping Sasuke and Sai with their opponent who had created mirrors made of ice. Thinking fast, Naruto made four clones and had three of them use the Substitution technique to take their places before the fourth went through some handseals alongside Naruto.

"Collaboration: Drilling Fireball Jutsu!" the two blondes declared as they sent forth their strongest attack. The inferno crashed into the mirrors, which suddenly melted and converged onto a single point.

Blue eyes narrowed as they spotted a ninja wearing a Mist Hunter Ninja mask holding onto a fully constructed blade of ice. Accepting the unspoken challenge, Naruto reached behind him and drew his sword, holding it in front of him like Lucina had taught him to.

(_Fire Emblem OST: On Glory's Wings)_

The two disappeared from sight before a loud clash was heard, showing that they had met in the middle. The two were even before they broke off, Naruto ducking beneath a horizontal slash and aiming one of his own at their legs.

They backflipped away and swung their sword mid-leap, sending forth a spray of ice senbon. He twirled his sword and batted them away before rushing his opponent. As he got closer, a seal on one side of the sword's guard lit up red and ignited the blade in fire. This caught the Ice Style user by surprise and their frozen sword was cleaved through easily with a rising slash.

However, Naruto released his own weapon and sent it skyward with a deadly spin, going with own momentum to deliver a backhanded fist to the masked face of the fake Hunter Ninja. He then leapt up after his weapon, catching it by the handle as a seal on the other side of the guard lit up green, causing wind to churn and enhance the fire.

"Here goes," he muttered to himself before he descended with a furious spin. "Uzumaki Style: Aether!"

Behind the mask, brown eyes widened and an ice mirror formed beneath the masked ninja before they sank into it; just in time for the mirror to be struck by the sword and erupt in an inferno that shot across the ground like a wave of roaring fire. Acting on instinct, Naruto spun in place and caught the ninja in the stomach with the flat part of his sword, the blunt force sending them flying back while their mask flew off their face.

(End Music)

Blue eyes widened when they saw the face of his opponent. "Haku…?"

Shakily, she got back onto her feet, giving Naruto a sad smile. "Yes…"

"But… But why?"

Her smile remained as she took a look towards the dense mist. "Because he's precious to me," she answered, making Naruto tense in realization. "He saved me, gave me a purpose, and made me strong. Everything I do, I do for him; just as you do for your precious person."

"Haku…" He looked to her sadly, not finding the words to argue with her since he knew he would've been the same had he been in her place.

"Please, Naruto…" She turned back to him. "I've failed Zabuza-sama… I want you to kill me."

He took a step back in shock, his arms lowering his sword. "H-How could you ask me to do something like that?"

"Because I've failed my purpose… I was given a new life to serve Zabuza-sama, and I've failed to do so in my defeat by you. So please, finish it; kill me."

His hands started to shake as he stared at his sword, gritting his teeth as he tried to think of what to do. "I… I can't…"

"You have to, Naruto… To deny me this would dishonor me and the choices I've made…" He looked back up, locking eyes with her. "Please," she begged.

He clenched his eyes shut, tightening the grip on his handle hard enough to make his palms bleed, and grit out, "I don't want to do this… You could've had another life…"

"Naruto…" Haku begged again.

"…I consider you a friend," he choked out as tears fell. He had taken lives before in the form of bandits and wild animals; but he had connected with Haku. This was entirely different.

"I feel the same," she admitted, standing still and leaving herself. "So, as your friend, I'm asking you to do this. I'm begging you…"

He choked back a sob, slowly raising his weapon. "…I don't enjoy this…"

"I know… Neither do I…"

He gave her a solemn smile before he charged, leaving a pair of tears behind him to fall toward the ground, both of them cooling into tiny flakes of snow that were caught in the wind and collided with one another.

* * *

Standing at the bow of the ship was Lucina, staring off towards the sea and its rolling waves. A smile was on her face as she thought of what lay beyond the horizon, a hand unconsciously reaching up to rest over her heart.

"I'm coming, Naruto…" she whispered to the sea, her blue eyes brimming with determination.


End file.
